TS 155 
.P45 

Copy 1 


» * ' . k 


«. V 






Foreman Training Methods 


By the Committee on 

FOREMAN TRAINING 


Chairman 

Harry H. Tukey, 

Educational Director, New York Employing Printers Association. 




Copyright, 1922. 

NATIONAL PERSONNEL ASSOCIATION 

20 Vesey Street ------- New York, N. Y. 


V 


s 











COMMITTEE ON FOREMAN TRAINING 


H. H. Tukey, Chairman, 

New York Employing Printers Association. 

Charles R. Allen, 

Dunwoody Institute. 

William C. Ash, 

University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia. 
Frank Cushman, 

Federal Board for Vocational Education. 

Horace G. Hill, Jr., 

Atlantic Refining Company. 

D. J. MacDonald, 

Ohio State University. 

' » 

James A. McKinney, 

American Correspondence School. 

T. H. Nelson, 

United Y. M. C. A. Schools. 

B. M. Nussbaum, 

Business Training Corporation. 

W. D. Stearns, 

Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Co. 


©CS.A690016 


Note:—This report will he discussed at the convention. Members should 
bring their copies of reports with them. No copies will be available 
for free distribution at the convention. 


NOV -4 1922 





FOREMAN TRAINING METHODS 
INTRODUCTION 


In submitting its report to the Association the Committee on 
Foreman Training” this year attempts an impartial presentation 
of the several methods that are in most common use in the move¬ 
ment to improve foremanship. It is particularly important at this 
time that a report of this kind should be placed before those who 
are interested. There has been some variance of opinion among 
the leaders in this work as to the values of different methods which 
in turn must have had its reflection among the manufacturers who 
have contemplated the adoption of foreman training activities. No 
apology is needed because of these differences, they are a natural 
process in the development of most activities that are worth while. 

The personnel of this year’s Committee comprises men who are 
well informed upon the various methods. Each has presented 
briefly his viewpoint of the scope and the limitations of these 
methods. The Committee have, in turn, enlarged upon or have 
emphasized specific features of individual reports so that the 
presentation of each method carries with it the thought of the 
Committee. 

No One Method Endorsed 

No one method is more highly endorsed than another. This 
has been and should be avoided. Selection of method is too closely 
allied to operating conditions and these are so varied that specific 
recommendation is impossible. Combinations or adaptations of 
methods are often desirable but must be arrived at through a deter¬ 
mination of the aim desired, a study of the conditions under which 
the work is to be done and a matching of the method possibilities 
against these. The principle which applies in matching Job Specifi¬ 
cations vs. Man Qualifications may apply equally in matching Fore¬ 
man Training Specifications of a given plant against Method 
Qualifications. Intensive methods must be used where intensive 
results are desired and likewise extensive results are produced from 
extensive methods. If broadcasting is desired broadcasting methods 
should be used, but if individual training is required a method 
suited to intensive work regardless of the size of the organization 
should be selected. 


3 



Types of Method 

Although there are numerous variations of method the entire 
group seem to boil down to at least four principal methods. They 
are 1. Lecture Method, 2. Conference Method, 3. Text Study 
Method, 4. Field Training Method. 

The first three are essentially instruction methods, the fourth 
opens up the possibilities of the purely training phase. It is im¬ 
portant to note that much attention is being given to the develop¬ 
ment of this phase of the work and the field for improvement in 
this direction is unlimited. 

Follow-Up 

A paper is included in the report which outlines some of the 
ways in which Foreman Training can be followed up and continued 
in the plant. This, too, is important as the job of improving fore¬ 
men must be continuous rather than sporadic if the best results are 
to be obtained. 

Production Conferences vs. Training Conferences 

Finally an attempt is made to clarify the misunderstanding that 
so frequently occurs between conferences of foremen held for 
Production purposes and conferences held for Training purposes. 
This discussion may at first seem somewhat foreign to the purpose 
of this report but when it is realized that the periodic meetings at 
which foremen and others settle current production problems are 
often considered as a method of training foremen, the propriety of 
including the paper in this report will be recognized. 

While most of the training of foremen in the past has been for 
job improvement purposes, i. e., improving men who are already 
foremen, much attention is now being given to the preparation of 
future foremen. As affecting selection of methods it is to be borne 
in mind that in the preparatory type of training a limited knowledge 
of foremanship must be assumed and a method selected which is 
adapted to students whose foundation of experience is limited. 

In all its discussions the Committee has concentrated upon the 
thought that good industrial non-comm’s must be trained and here 
as in the Army the method utilized in the training is of the utmost 
importance. Right selection comes through clear understanding 
and it is hoped that this report will contribute to this end. 


4 


PART I. THE LECTURE METHOD 

Of all the methods which have commended themselves for use 
in the development of foremen, the one which has had probably the 
widest use but the least acknowledgment has been the Lecture 
Method. Strange as this statement may seem it is unquestionably 
true that the direct Lecture Method in which paid lecturers are 
hired to give talks to foremen and through the variations of this 
method down to the shop talk by a staff member of the Company 
organization are most commonly mentioned in connection with the 
development of foremen, yet it is equally true that any discussion 
pertaining to Foreman Training among those versed in the subject 
is evidenced by an attempt to avoid the acknowledgment of the use 
of this method. 

Reasons For and Against Lecture Method 

There are numerous reasons for the somewhat common selection 
of this method among which are the following: 

1. It is, perhaps, the easiest to operate. 

2. Equally, it is usually the most economical. 

3. It is a commonly accepted method of education. 

4. It lends itself readily for use in large groups. 

5. It is very easily promoted. 

6. The lecture itself is possible of duplication and distribution. 

7. It is sufficiently effective where the aim is only to impart 
information without developing thinking capacity. 

8. It has its most effective use where the previous training or 
mental equipment of the members of the group is sufficient to enable 
them to absorb the content of the lecture. 

9. It is effective where the aim of the work is inspirational 
rather than instructive. 

10. It has a pronounced value when used to supplement other 
methods. 

The arguments commonly used against this method are that: 

1. It is the least effective of all methods in the stimulation of 
the thinking process. 

2. It is not well adapted to the type of man commonly found 
among the foremen. 

3. It produces at best only temporary interest. 

4. It may very easily add to his complexities either through 
the limitations of his own capacity or the inability of the expert to 
come down to his level. 


5 


5. There is always the difficulty of securing group leaders or 
Lecturers with the sympathetic viewpoint that comes from a knowl¬ 
edge of actual foremanship problems or who know foremanship 
from the standpoint of what it is rather than what they think it 
should be. 

6. The method is too easily recognized by the foremen as a 
superimposed pouring in process rather than a development process 
of which he is an integral part. 

7. It is a device for giving information, but not for training. 

8. There is commonly a lack of sequence in the lectures. 

9. There is usually a low degree of correlation between theory 
and practice—lecture and job. 

The above analysis of the Lecture Method is only partial and 
serves to indicate some of the conditions under which it may be 
expected to apply effectively and as well attempts to state some of 
its limitations. Unquestionably there is the possibility of difference 
of opinion and argument, particularly upon its limitations, but the 
analysis may be said to represent a fair statement of the possibilities 
and restrictions of the Lecture Method as viewed by the Committee. 

Where Best Applied 

It is unquestionably true that the Lecture Method is possible of 
application and in many cases is very desirably used in the work of 
improving foremanship, but again it is emphasized that greatest 
effectiveness comes where the aim is only to inform foremen with¬ 
out attempting to concentrate upon developing their ability to think 
their way through the problems of their daily work in accordance 
with the accepted standards of performance that are set up by the 
management. 

It may be said that the Lecture Method may apply where it is 
the aim of the Company to inform their foremen of Company 
policies without necessarily training them to think through to the 
application of those policies in the performance of their daily work. 
Again the Method may apply where it is the intention of the Com¬ 
pany to inform foremen of the interrelationship of the various 
departments of the plants in order that they may have better com¬ 
prehension of the effect of their work upon those departments and 
of the dependence of those departments upon the foremen’s per¬ 
formances. An illustration of this would be for the employment 


6 


manager to talk to a group of foremen about the employment 
department and its relationship to the foremen. Where the organ¬ 
ization is low in morale a careful selection of leaders may serve to 
produce enthusiasm and inject spirit into the organization. When 
it is desired to incorporate new systems or make other new 
departures, the Lecture Method may be used advantageously to 
inform foremen of the new work and their participation in it. 

The Lecture Method is a deductive method which leaves the 
foremen to apply general conclusions to his specific cases as con¬ 
trasted against some of the other methods which are essentially 
inductive, wherein as a result of the discussion of particular cases 
general conclusions are reached which govern the future practices 
of the foremen involved. The contrast of the Lecture Method 
against other methods is then a contrast of deductive methods and 
inductive methods. 

It is well to mention here something of the conditions under 
which the Lecture Method may or may not work favorably, for the 
selection of methods is governed as much by instructing or training 
conditions as by its inherent characteristics. The contribution of 
training conditions is equally to be considered in the selection of 
other methods. 

It may be assumed that the Lecture Method is the safest to 
select when the groups are large and represent foremen from varied 
types of work. This would be particularly true in foremen develop¬ 
ment work that is carried on in a community centre wherein fore¬ 
men from a number of different manufacturing plants are brought 
together for improvement purposes. Under such conditions due to 
the nature of the group the subject itself must be more or less 
general in its application. 

The method is also particularly to be commended for use where 
groups are very large, involving from fifty to one hundred or more 
foremen. The thought may also be contributed that this method 
may be very acceptably used with groups conducted in the evening, 
upon the theory that at the close of his day’s work a foreman is not 
in a mental condition that would permit the extensive analysis used 
in other methods but he may be expected to listen to an address or 
lecture that would not call for mental effort upon his part at the 
time. 

Where the firm is of the opinion, however, that foremanship 
improvement should be carried on in the plant during working 
hours, but necessarily, under these conditions, permitting only a 


7 


comparatively small number of foremen to be absent from work at 
one time, the acceptability of the Lecture Method is open to ques¬ 
tion. Under these conditions, it is safe to assume that the group 
itself would soon lose patience with the lecture idea and by force 
of their own control, and such must be recognized, carry out dis¬ 
cussions concerning particular problems with which they are in 
contact in the plant. This illustration is simply given to emphasize 
the fact that in selecting the Lecture Method particular study 
must be given to the characteristics of the group of foremen to be 
dealt with and as well that a considerable amount of control rests 
in their hands as to the successful outcome of the use of this method. 

Adaptations 

One of the adaptations of the use of the Lecture Method has 
been to combine lectures with discussions. Under this plan the 
Lecture is given upon a given subject followed by discussion of the 
lecture by the group. In the lecture a general conclusion is usually 
put over in the discussion which follows the foremen’s attempt to 
discuss the lecture in terms of their specific problems. While this 
may be said to be an improvement over the straight lecture type of 
work the question is raised as to whether greater returns in the 
organization may not be expected from the converse of this method, 
in which after discussing a number of particular cases centered 
upon a given problem, the group reaches a general conclusion which 
they may apply in future instances of the type. 

A combination is also effected in the use of lectures and pre¬ 
pared text. In such instances the lecture is based upon the text 
which is studied before or after the lecture. Discussion either of a 
general nature or confined to specific questions in the text may 
follow. This practice is generally followed where it is the desire 
to inform foremen beyond their immediate jobs rather than to con¬ 
fine the work to improvement in already known responsibilities. 
It may be used in either case however. 

It is both unsafe and unfair to say that the Lecture Method is 
not adaptable to improving foremen. It is effective under certain 
operating conditions. The successful use of the method comes, 
however, as in other methods, namely, by arriving at: 1. the aim 
of the development, 2. the character of the group to be dealt with, 
3. the conditions under which the development must be operated. 


8 


PART II. THE CONFERENCE METHOD 

The conference plan of foremanship training is quite commonly 
referred to as a type or a kind of foreman training course. The 
conference is not really a plan but is essentially an organization 
device for handling certain kinds of objectives with a group of 
foremen; therefore the term “conference plan” is somewhat mis- 
leading. 

What It Is 

Many foremanship courses are organized on the basis of a 
certain content to be put over to a group of foremen, the assumption 
being that the men are ignorant of the subject matter of the par¬ 
ticular lesson and are present in the class for the purpose of being 
definitely instructed. Under the so-called conference plan a fore¬ 
manship course is set up in terms of objectives to be attained rather \ 

than content to be taught, the idea being to develop the thinking of 
the foreman with regard to their responsibilities on the job, rather 
than to instruct them on new subject matter. 

In any foremanship course the conference, as an organization 
device, is not suited to certain objectives. As a matter of fact, it is 
not at all suited to any objective concerning which the foreman 
have not had considerable experience. It is inconceivable that any 
foremanship course could ever be carried through completely by 
the conference plan alone. A competent instructor would use the 
conference organization for certain sections of his work, for others 
he would teach a developmental lesson, and again, for certain kinds 
of objectives, dealing with subjects entirely new to the men, he 
might give a series of lessons of an informational character. 

Briefly, there are three principal devices which a foremanship 
instructor could use in carrying on his work with a group of fore¬ 
men: (1) the conference, (2) the developmental lesson, and (3) 

the informational lesson. 

It would be absurd to attempt to conduct an entire course in 
foremanship training by using exclusively any one of these three 
plans or organization devices. A competent instructor or leader 
should be ready to use whatever device is best suited to the special 
work to be done. It would be a very easy matter to discredit any 
plan or organization device by using it for objectives for which the 
particular device selected was unsuitable. The nature of the objec¬ 
tives set up, the average age and the experience of the men, the 


9 


conditions under which the work is to be carried on, and the skill 
and experience of the instructor or leader should be carefully con¬ 
sidered before deciding upon a definite plan to be followed. The 
ideal would be to have an instructor or leader who was skilled in 
using at least the three devices previously mentioned and who could 
use them according to the particular conditions under which he 
was working and the particular objectives to be attained. As has 
been stated before, the conference is a device, not a plan, for 
handling certain types of objectives. 

Characteristics of the Conference Organization 

Among the more important characteristics of the conference plan 
of organization are the following: 

1. The members of the conference group must have the neces¬ 
sary background of industrial experience. This is indispensable 
because the conference is essentially a developmental and an organ¬ 
izing procedure. 

2. The relationship of instructor and learner, or teacher and 
pupil, is neither set up nor implied. Where a leader is using a 
conference organization skilfully the men do not feel that they are 
in school for the purpose of being taught something concerning 
which they are uninformed. 

3. The size of the group must be limited. For efficient con¬ 
ference work experience indicates that a conference group of 16 to 
18 is most desirable, and that 20 is the absolute maximum. 

4. A well qualified leader is necessary. Effective conference 
work will be done in proportion as the conference leader is qualified 
by training, experience, and personal characteristics for this import¬ 
ant and difficult work. In dealing with foremen much of an in¬ 
structor’s or leader’s success will depend upon the degree to which 
he can function as a teacher without having the members of his 
conference group look upon him as an instructor or teacher. Even 
though a conference may deal wholly with matters already known 
to the foreman, if the leader handles the conference successfully, 
with the result that the attitude of mind of the foremen toward their 
responsibilities is changed so that they will want to improve their 
procedure in handling their men or in the performing of any of 
their other duties, he has certainly functioned as a teacher although 
he may not have definitely instructed the men on any subject that 
was new to them. 


10 


Suitability of Objectives 

The conference organization, while conspicuously effective for 
certain objectives with a group of experienced men, is not suitable 
for every purpose. The objectives which would be set up for most 
technical courses obviously would be handled more effectively by 
the class organization than by the conference plan. 

To illustrate, a capable instructor would never attempt to teach 
the elementary principles of mechanics by means of a conference. 
For men who are constantly dealing with forces and their effects 
he would certainly utilize their past experiences and would teach 
the subject in a developmental way. At the same time he would 
most certainly have to do one of two things, either he would teach 
these principles directly to the men or he would let them teach 
themselves from a textbook. 

Such topics as the giving of orders to men on the job or the 
handling of the careless worker could be adequately taken care 
of by the conference organization as distinguished from the class¬ 
room organization, because every foreman has taken orders and has 
given them since he first became a foreman, and he has had to con¬ 
tend with carelessness on the job on the part of the men working 
under him. 

The Make-Up of the Group 

The success of a foremanship program depends to a very great 
extent upon the make-up of the group. For the highest efficiency 
all the members of the group should be from the same organization 
and should be, preferably, men of about equal rank in the organ¬ 
ization. Separate groups should be organized with the general idea 
of having each group include only men of approximately equal 
rank. 

It is generally recognized that the presence of a general manager, 
or other high executive of the organization, tends to reduce the 
amount of full and free discussion of cases because the men do not 
feel perfectly at ease. While it is undesirable to have a mixed group 
of department heads, plant executives, and foremen at one time, it 
is necessary for the best results to have conferences with plant 
executives and department heads parallel with the foremen’s con¬ 
ferences. 

The type of conferences with plant officials is quite different 
from that held with foremen, and this in itself would be a big 
enough subject for a separate report. In substance, however, the 
purpose of these conferences is to discuss the work being done 


11 


with the foremen, not with the idea of reporting all details or all 
cases that may have been considered, but with the idea of going 
over the progress which has been made in the foremen’s meetings 
and discussing ways and means for capitalizing upon the work and 
maintaining improved conditions in the plant. 

Organization of the Course 

During the past few years a variety of p’ans have been tried out 
ranging all the way from one 2-hour meeting per week to an inten¬ 
sive program of 6 hours per day extending over a 2-week period. 
Those who have had first-hand experience with this work are of the 
opinion that the intensive plan makes for the highest efficiency. 

In making arrangements for the course in any individual plant 
this point should be kept in mind, namely, that efficiency will de¬ 
crease in proportion as the work is handled through infrequent 
meetings extending over a long period of time and will increase in 
proportion as the program is made intensive. 

It is generally agreed that the best results are obtained under 
the intensive plan extending over a total period of time ranging 
from 36 to 72 hours. It would hardly be worth while to organize 
a program for less than 36 hours, and after a total period of 72 
hours it seems to be in the interest of efficiency to bring the con¬ 
ference to a close and let the men have a chance to think over and 
assimilate the work that has been covered. 

The end of this formal period of training, however, should not 
mark the end of the work. Following an intensive program of, say 
60 to 70 hours, with a vacation or rest period of possibly a month, 
it would be desirable to have regular meetings with the foremen, 
say once a week, with the idea of further continuing and maintaining 
interest in the work. 

Methods of Instruction 

Because of the fundamental differences between a conference 
and a classroom organization, ordinary instructional methods are 
not suitable for conference work. There are, however, two prin¬ 
cipal methods used by a conference leader: (1) The case method, 
and (2) the question method. In using both of these methods for 
any given topic, analysis and discussion play important parts. 

In following the first method a case is the starting point for 
analysis and discussion. In using the second method a series of 
questions of a thought provoking character is used. These ques¬ 
tions, or points for discussion, quite often are intentionally made 
somewhat ambiguous in order to encourage a difference of opinion 


12 


on the part of different members of the group. Strictly speaking, 
neither is a method in the same sense that the lecture or the demon¬ 
stration are distinct methods of instruction. In other words, 
“methods” does not exactly express the meaning. 

By some who are not fully informed in regard to the confer¬ 
ence organization it is assumed that the work is carried on by more 
or less rambling and aimless discussion. Such, however, is not 
the case. A skillful conference leader, while encouraging discus¬ 
sion and free expression, aims to head up the discussion toward 
some definite and desirable conclusion. To use a mechanical 
analogy,—in the foremanship conference the foreman furnish all 
the motive power and the leader does the steering and directing. 

Conclusion 

The conference as an organization device should not be expected 
to meet all the conditions that will prevail in carrying on foreman- 
ship work. The conference, as distinguished from a classroom 
organization, has no magical qualities which will cause any given 
foremanship course to be a success. A competent instructor will 
recognize its value for the particular purposes for which it is suited, 
but will not hesitate, even though he is carrying on foremanship 
work under the so-called conference plan, to switch over to a 
classroom organization when the conditions are such that this 
would be in the interest of higher efficiency. 

The conference is wonderfully efficient for the work for which 
it is suited, and it is believed by those who have had most experi¬ 
ence with the so-called conference plan that it is a very effective 
way to start a program of foremanship training. 

A successful foremanship conference, with the necessary follow¬ 
up work, results in creating a real and active interest in education 
and training on the part of the foreman. And whenever this result 
can be secured, it is obvious that the entire working force will be 
affected to some degree in the same way. Thus the conference 
incidentally serves as a device for promoting many types of worth 
while courses, such as technical courses of a trade extension char¬ 
acter, general educational courses, instructor training courses, and 
the like. 

Summary 

The following summary is given of the principles which underlie 
the Conference Method together with its advantages and its limita¬ 
tions : 


13 


1. Principles Underlying the Conference Method: 

a. The meetings tend to be more or less informal in nature, or 
in other words, are not marked with the degree of stiffness which 
almose invariably marks them when lectures are given. If rightly 
conceived and executed it not only invites but succeeds in securing 
general participation in the discussion. 

b. The leader or leaders—for there may well be more than 
one—is or are more or less skillful in promoting or provoking 
thought on the part of the group members; likewise competent to 
steer the discussion in the desired direction. That is, they know 
how to guard against more or less useless discussion, something 
which, unfortunately, is likely to result under weak leadership. 

c. Topics for discussion must be carefully chosen and as care¬ 
fully defined. 

d. The topics must be of interest, though not necessarily of 
vital interest, to all members of the group. This is equivalent to 
saying that the topics for discussion are to be drawn from the 
difficulties which confront the members of the group from day to 
day. So far as the conference method is concerned, this is abso¬ 
lutely necessary. 

e. The leader must use terms which are free from ambiguity. 
The use of academic terms to any great extent will make success 
doubtful. Illustrations from shop life need not always be used 
though they usually meet with approval. 

f. An essential part of the necessary preparation consists in 
getting together a number of pertinent questions bearing upon the 
topic under discussion, which questions are to be used by the leader 
for provoking discussion. 

g. The more familiar the leader is with the production prob¬ 
lems with which the foremen must struggle from day to day, the 
greater, other things being equal, will be his success. 

h. In the main, better results will come if at the conclusion of 
each session or conference, a brief statement regarding the next 
topic is given and something in the way of an assignment is made. 
While not a great deal can be expected in the way of preparation, 
especially at first, foremen will increasingly respond to this sort of 
stimulus and will eventually apply themselves energetically to meet¬ 
ing anything in the way of reasonable assignments. 

i. Care must be exercised by the leader that the discussion leads 
somewhere each time. Interest cannot long be maintained if the 
men have to go away empty, so to speak. Some definite conclu¬ 
sions are necessary at each meeting, or, if not that, then agreement 
to disagree. 


14 


j. The main points brought out through discussion should be 
jotted down and placed in each foreman’s hands within a day or 
so after the meeting. Foremen will prize such material if it is put 
up in a readable form. 

2. Its Advantages: 

a. It is informal in nature, which informality accords closely 
with the foreman’s attitude towards life as well as with his idea as 
to the way work of this character should be conducted. 

b. It gives every member a chance to participate. This is really 
a two-fold advantage since, first, it assures, in case the various 
individuals participate, greater development, other things being 
equal, than if they were silent listeners and second, it results in an 
exchange of views, which, in turn, eventuates in better understand¬ 
ing and greater sympathy, both of which are indispensable to a 
high degree of cooperation. 

c. It encourages self-analysis as well as analysis of individual 
difficulties. More than that, it may,—in fact it should,—provide 
individual foremen with a technique of procedure for getting to 
the bottom of many of their difficulties. 

d. It makes possible the closest connection with the foremen’s 
daily difficulties, than which there is no factor which counts more 
toward success. What the foreman desires above everything else 
is help toward the solution of his daily problems. The course or 
method which provides this to the greatest degree has a very pro¬ 
nounced advantage over others. 

e. It assures a training course of great flexibility. For ex¬ 
ample, if the particular topic or problem under discussion proves to 
be of unusual importance locally, several sessions, rather than one, 
may be given over to its consideration. 

3. Its Limitations: 

(1) The discussions may wander afield, or, in other words, 
may get nowhere in particular, if the leader lacks competency. 

(2) Again, while the discussions may be fairly definite in 
nature, unless the leaders have laid the course out with the idea of 
getting certain important principles deduced and “driven home,” 
little good will be derived therefrom. 

(3) Purely personal remarks, so disruptive to progressive 
measures, sometimes creep in. 

(4) It often needs the stimulating effect of an inspiring lecture. 
Whether or not this is true usually depends upon the leader. 


15 


PART III. THE TEXT STUDY METHOD 

This method is so characterized because it represents a con¬ 
siderable group of activities which are typical in that they have as 
a background a specially prepared text from which assignments for 
study are made or from which problems are selected for discussion. 

Two Types 

There are two procedures for handling this work. In the first 
the text is developed and presented by the company itself, and in 
the second the text is prepared and presented by agencies outside 
the company which specialize in such work and are unquestionably 
well equipped to handle it. 

In the latter group there is again a subdivision into group study 
work and correspondence study work. 

Both types of work are to be commended in the fields they serve. 
The group study work is essentially the extensive type of instruc¬ 
tion, the correspondence study savors more of the intensive type, 
perhaps, but it is open to the criticism to which all standardized 
courses have been subjected,—namely that they are too general. 
This objection however is not always well taken for general 
courses have their place and function. 

Standardized Study Courses 

Distinct from the method of training foremen entirely through 
conference discussions, or lectures, is the method of using a stand¬ 
ardized foremen's course for group-study. The latter usually con¬ 
sists of the following instructional elements: 

Features. 

1. Specially prepared text material written in plain language 
and covering only those phases of production management with 
which the foreman is directly concerned. The subjects considered 
most essential for text treatment are Self-Analysis, Job Analysis, 
Teamwork, Handling People, Organization, Production Control, 
Records, Care of Equipment, Management Policies. 

2. Interesting problems or projects or exercises , related to the 
text, which call for written solution, and enable the foreman to 
think his way through a series of concrete cases. If, for example, 
the current text assignment is on the subject of Handling Workers, 
the problem may state a hypothetical case involving the use of judg¬ 
ment and tact in ironing out a troublesome group of workers. The 
foreman is asked to put himself in the place of the man in charge 
and set down how he would go about straightening out the trouble. 


16 


Or he may be asked to set down a complete analysis of his own 
working force and describe in detail just how he is applying the 
principles in the text to his own department. These written reports 
are submitted to a central staff for comment and criticism and are 
usually returned with constructive comment and grading. 

3. Weekly or fortnightly group meetings, at which the text 
material is reviewed, the problems or projects discussed, and appli¬ 
cations of the study to the local plant situation worked out. In the 
small plant where less than thirty men are eligible for foreman 
development, these meetings can best be handled by a group leader 
or chairman and should be informal in character. In concerns 
where the group numbers from thirty to seventy-five, the best plan 
is to have a lecturer talk on the subject in hand and then throw the 
meeting open to questions and discussion. In still larger plants, 
the lecture meetings may be ever so large, but they should be sup¬ 
plemented by section meetings composed of small groups, with a 
team captain in charge of each, thus providing intimate discussion 
of each department's problems in the light of the text study, written 
work and lectures. 

The foremen employed in small isolated shops where no oppor¬ 
tunity for class training is afforded can avail themselves of the first 
two features of the standardized course by enrolling for corre¬ 
spondence instruction. Foreman training by means of correspond¬ 
ence is not by any means limited to the isolated foreman, however. 
Desirable class and correspondence programs are frequently de¬ 
veloped with success. The institutions conducting special manage¬ 
ment courses for foremen report that many foremen throughout 
the country have taken advantage of this form of instruction and 
that their record of study is far above that of the average corre¬ 
spondence student. 

A few large companies have prepared their own courses, using 
the standardized method with specially prepared text material, 
problem work and group meetings that deal exclusively with their 
own industry. This type of company course is described in this 
report, and it is pertinent to point out here such courses belong in 
the category of standardized instruction, involving the use of 
independently prepared study material as contrasted with the “con¬ 
ference" plan of letting the group evolve its own instruction 
material. 

In appraising the value of the standardized course in foreman- 
ship for the average plant, certain basic questions must be met. 
The chief ones are: 


17 


1. Does it give the foreman what he most needs? 

2. Is it too general to be of practical use to him? 

3. Will a group of foremen study it with enthusiasm and follow 

it through ? 

4. Are the benefits lasting? 

5. Can the same result be accomplished at less expense? 

The Committee has considered these questions carefully and 
presents the following comment: 

Does it give the Foreman what he most needs? 

The purpose of the standardized course is to combine the effects 
of individual and group study. Most plant executives agree that 
the individual foreman needs to know more about the executive 
phases of his job. He cannot do his part in a well organized pro¬ 
duction team unless he is familiar with the modern machinery of 
management. He must understand the principles of economics and 
organization, of routing, scheduling and production control, of 
personnel administration, including the selection, handling, up¬ 
grading and disciplining of workers. Not only must he be familiar 
with this science of modern management, but he must also be in 
sympathy with it, if he is to cooperate whole heartedly in making it 
function. Insofar as a prepared course presents this knowledge 
compactly, clearly, simply, in language easily understood and devoid 
of abstract theories, it is providing a necessary background for 
foremen development. If, in addition, it succeeds in “selling” the 
foreman on the advantages of scientific over rule-of-thumb pro¬ 
duction methods, it is motivating him to more active cooperation 
with all the staff departments. Whether the foreman will grasp 
this new knowledge more quickly through actual study than 
through lectures or Socratic seminars is an open question, but there 
can be no doubt that the content of the sound standardized course 
is vital to the large majority of foremen in industry today. The 
standard course should not be regarded as the be-all and end-all of 
foremen education. Its limitations should be recognized and pro¬ 
vision made to fit it into a comprehensive scheme of gradual 
up-grading of the individual and the group. 

Is the Standardized Course too general? 

This is a valid criticism of all standardized education. Certainly, 
no standard course can be expected to treat in its subject matter 
only those problems characteristic of a particular plant. When the 
true function of such a course is remembered, however, this objec¬ 
tion loses some of its force. The type of course under discussion 


18 


is purely ground-work, foundation building. All production rests 
on certain basic principles of management which the foremen ought 
to study and absorb. It is with these fundamentals, made clear and 
convincing through apt illustrations, that the standard study course 
is chiefly concerned. Beyond this, it is doubtful whether any but 
exceptionally well educated foremen can be taught by the text book 
method. The average foreman has only a sixth grade education 
and is scarcely equal to the demands of advanced scholarship. This 
is why the ordinary academic text books cn management used in 
schools and universities are of little use in foremen training. The 
standardized foreman’s course performs the extensive function in 
education—like the public school system—giving the entire super¬ 
visory force quickly the necessary fundamental training in team¬ 
work and management. That is why it must be general in char¬ 
acter. d he conference or seminar method of training, on the other 
hand, performs the intensive function—giving to selected small 
groups particularized instruction. Far from being mutually exclu¬ 
sive, the two are reciprocal. One should supplement the other, if 
the most thorough results are to be secured. 

Will Foremen follow through a study course enthusiastically? 

The answer to this question depends largely upon the character 
of the course, the attitude of the management toward it, and the 
efficiency with which it is conducted. 

If the study material and written exercises are stimulating and 
neatly adjusted to the foreman’s interests and type of mind, he will 
usually find the work anything but a task. If, however, the course 
has been prepared in academic fashion, dealing in abstractions and 
heavy in style, it will not appeal to the average body of foremen. 

The attitude of the management is next in importance. Where 
the plant heads get strongly behind a study program, not only giving 
it their endorsement, but showing their willingness to participate in 
it themselves, the entire group is likely to respond enthusiastically 
and carry on to the finish. 

The most important factor in the success of a study group, how¬ 
ever, is the skill with which every feature of the work is conducted. 
Just as the conference plan of training depends for its success upon 
a well qualified leader who can command the respect of the foreman 
and who has the rare faculty of combining sound teaching ability 
with practical knowledge and magnetic personality, so a group study 
course will forfeit the foreman's sustained interest unless the 
organization in charge of the work is thoroughly competent. The 


19 


problem criticism must be given careful attention; it must be 
handled by practical production men who know from experience 
the foremen’s problems and point of view. Most important of all, 
the meetings must be handled by men thoroughly experienced in 
getting ideas across to shop men. The professional type or the 
highly technical type of man can rarely put the necessary force or 
inspiration into a talk to foremen. Likewise, the amateur group 
leader is apt to lose his hold on the group after the first two or three 
meetings. If a specially trained lecturer of forceful personality 
handles the meetings, inspiring the men in their effort at self- 
improvement, there is every reason to expect a large percentage of 
completions. One organization that has conducted a standardized 
course in production methods for more than thirty thousand fore¬ 
men, reports that during the past two years over 88% of all the 
required written work was completed. This seems to point to the 
conclusion that foremen will follow through a study course enthu¬ 
siastically if it is rightly handled. 

Are the benefits lasting? 

The real problem in foremen training seems to consist in helping 
the foreman apply in his daily work the new ideas he has gained. 
The degree to which this is achieved determines the permanency of 
the benefits from any training of whatever type. It is natural that 
the effect of a short program of text study, written work, lectures 
and conferences, however much it may energize the thinking of the 
men, will wear off somewhat if it is not followed up in a con¬ 
sistent way. This cardinal point has been stressed by all those con¬ 
nected with the foremen training movement, viz.: the development 
of better foremanship should be a constantly continuing process. 
After the fundamentals of plant management and teamwork have 
been imparted to the entire supervisory force through a successful 
group study course, provision should be made to link up the knowl¬ 
edge gained to the actual job of each man. This can be done 
through periodic conferences under a skilled leader, through the 
provision of a specialized company course, or through personal 
coaching by a well qualified representative of the personnel depart¬ 
ment. These are some of the ways in which the benefits of the 
training can be made permanent. 

Can the same result be accomplished at less expense? 

In the first place, it seems fair to say that the cost of any pro¬ 
gram that produces better foremanship is likely to prove a good 
investment. If the improvement in teamwork, reduced turn-over, 


20 


lowered costs and labor harmony measures as little as 5 or 10% 
(and most concerns estimate it at a more liberal percentage) the 
total saving effected far overshadows the initial expense. Secondly, 
it must be borne in mind that a comprehensive course of group- 
study accomplishes in a few months what would otherwise take a 
much longer time to bring about, namely, the unification of the ideas 
on management of the entire supervisory force. The time used to 
accomplish a result is a big factor in the cost. The standard pre¬ 
pared course has the advantage of syndicating among many com¬ 
panies a considerable outlay for the preparation of special study 
material and for the maintenance of a high-priced instruction staff, 
thereby reducing the unit cost of educating each foreman. 

Conclusion. 

In conclusion, the Committee wishes to emphasize that the 
standard group study course has its distinct place in foremen 
development, just as other methods have. It can bring about 
quickly the stimulation of the entire supervisory force to a higher 
pitch of teamwork. It can plant in the foremen’s minds necessary 
fundamental information about modem management. It can unify 
the attitude of the entire supervisory force toward plant problems 
and policies. It can do this effectively if the course is in the hands 
of an experienced staff. The further training of the foreman on 
the job, involving a close study of the particular problems of each 
department, must naturally be left to more intensive training 
methods. 

The Company Course 

A considerable number of companies are now organizing and 
carrying on training courses for their foremen entirely on their own 
responsibility and with the use of the talent already in the organ¬ 
ization. The subject matter for courses of this kind consists 
entirely of the various activities which are peculiar to the par¬ 
ticular organization. Among the subjects included may be 

1. The history of the Company. 

2. The organization of the Company. 

3. The various functional departments such as purchasing, 
sales, laboratory, stores, accounting, maintenance, etc., with special 
emphasis upon the relation which exists between the production 
foremen and the various functional departments. 

4. Various phases of the company’s manufacturing processes. 

5. The duties of foremen in relation to employment, health and 


21 


safety work, wage and wage setting, shop discipline, versatility and 
attendance records, initiating and instructing new workers, etc. 

When a company prepares a course of this kind it does so with 
the object of making articulate to the foremen the details of its 
own policy on management. It does this on the assumption that a 
foreman, to be a success in a particular company, must be trained 
in the policies which are peculiar to that company. In other 
words, instead of teaching the art of foremanship in general, a 
company course attempts to teach foremanship as a part of its own 
business. 

As a rule, one individual in the company assumes the responsi¬ 
bility for outlining the details of such a course and for preparing a 
series of short mimeographed units which may be used as a text. 
The information contained in these units is obtained directly from 
those executives and experts in the company who are in the best 
position to give it and who are primarily concerned in carrying out 
the company’s policy in that particular field. The units are dis¬ 
tributed to the foremen a few days or a week in advance of their 
meeting and the meeting itself may be led either by the man in 
charge of the course or by the department head or executive whose 
work forms the subject of the particular unit. For example, if the 
unit is concerned with the question of the foreman’s part in the 
v/ork of employment, the employment manager or the industrial 
relations manager may lead the meeting. It is unnecessary to have 
expert discussion leaders in order to promote a successful discus¬ 
sion meeting if the plan instituted by some companies is followed. 
This plan is to have at the end of each mimeographed unit a series 
of about 20 to 25 questions bearing upon the material in that unit, 
and the person who leads the meeting puts these questions in order 
to various foremen in the class. He does not ask for answers in 
general but puts each question to a definite man calling him by 
name. This is usually a successful means for starting a discussion 
because as soon as one man answers a question many others follow 
suit without waiting to be personally called upon. 

Another advantage of this method is its negligible cost. It is 
unnecessary for one man to give his entire time to a course of this 
kind even in a large factory. Moreover, the only other expense 
connected with giving such a course is the mimeographing of text, 
typewriting, and the time of the foremen if the meetings are held 
on company time. Above all, there is the advantage of having a 
course which is based entirely upon the policies and details of the 
particular management and which is handled entirely by people 
within the organization itself. 


22 


PART IV. FIELD TRAINING OF FOREMEN 

Probably the oldest method of developing supervisors and minor 
executives is that of making them on the job. When a vacancy 
occurred in the ranks of the foremen, a man was selected either 
from the group of workmen or from some smaller supervisory 
position, and he was tried out. He was given more or less assist¬ 
ance, advice and guidance by his superiors and if he adapted him¬ 
self readily to his new responsibilities, he soon grew to be a foreman; 
if not, another selection was made and the experiment repeated. 

This process is a form of field training as it has been operated 
in past years. While the system produced many excellent men, it 
always suffered under the handicap of lagging behind the demand 
of the industry. Men were being trained only under the pressure 
of an emergency, which meant that every organization was carrying 
a proportion of foremen who were not yet able to handle their jobs 
satisfactorily. Many companies have now come to see the advan¬ 
tages of keeping a supply of men who will be trained above their 
immediate jobs, if possible, and field training furnishes an excellent 
means of increasing potential capacity for responsibility. 

What It Is 

The first step in field training, as practiced by some industrial 
organizations, is the selection of the men who are to be given 
special attention. Intelligent selection requires the cooperation of 
the personal supervisor with the various superintendents and assist¬ 
ants who are forced to live in rather intimate contact with their 
men. Such plant executives are urged to make constant experi¬ 
ments along the lines of assigning extraordinary jobs, entailing 
supervision of men or materials, to different rank and file employees 
in their forces. If the employee, under an insignificant trial of 
this kind which may last only a few hours, demonstrates any ability, 
he is noted as a possibility for promotion and is soon given an 
opportunity to attempt some more difficult task. If he continues 
to show promise, he is given more specific instruction and assistance 
and after a number of such brief trials he can be considered as 
suitable material for promotion at some future date. 

Up to this point the preliminary training and selection has been 
accomplished without the employee realizing that he is being trained 
for greater and more efficient service. When the opportunity 
arrives, he can be given regular supervisory duties and classed as a 
minor foreman, at which time his intensive training may begin. He 
has now entered the field in competition with many other men in 


23 


similar positions and his further development will be carefully 
watched so that he will not advance beyond his capacity. 

The procedure from this point is similar to the preliminary 
process, except that the training of the candidate is more definitely 
planned. He is kept at a certain task until he has mastered the 
fundamental requirements, but is not allowed to fall into a rut in 
that job. He is then transferred to a position involving radically 
different duties and the ease with which he adapts himself is noticed. 
As opportunities occur he is placed first in one part of the works 
and then in another and, during all this time, he is being guided 
and stimulated by those who are watching him. In this way the 
man broadens his acquaintance among the works executives who 
might be able to use him permanently and he also acquires a good 
knowledge of the various phases of the business. If he has made 
proper use of his opportunities for development, he will soon find 
himself assigned indefinitely to some department where he can use 
and increase his knowledge and experience, to his own and the 
company’s advantage. 

Training of this kind need not be systematized to the extent of 
laying out a definite schedule of so many months involving one 
specific type of experience and so many at the next step, although 
some companies follow this procedure. A strict adherence to any 
schedule generally results in a duplication of supervision at many 
points, where the student foreman must work alongside of the 
regular foreman who is competent to handle his job without an 
assistant. A cheaper method is to utilize all vacancies, into which 
men can be placed temporarily, as opportunities for educating and 
developing growing foremen, who then become producers as well 
as students. The realization that they will be called upon to show 
results each day stimulates them to shoulder full responsibility, 
which, if they are not actually in charge, they tend to shirk. The 
system also provides excellent opportunities for discontinuing 
intensive training of any man who shows himself incompetent by 
permitting him to remain in some subordinate position without mov¬ 
ing him to the next more difficult job. 

Field training may be allowed to stand on its own bottom as a 
method of developing foremen or better foremen. However, there 
should be no difficulty in combining with it any other system of 
industrial education, such as the group discussion, lecture course, 
hypothetical problem solution, text study or correspondence school 
type. Undoubtedly much can be gained by such a combination of 


24 


theory and practice provided the man understands that he is taking 
the theory of his own volition to assist him in handling the specific 
jobs which he is filling. He should not feel that he is performing 
merely laboratory work as a part of a scholastic course which, at 
its completion, will have fitted him for a major position. Field 
training produces the best results when the training, of whatever 
nature, is made apparently incidental and applied as stimulation 
and guidance to assist the man in developing his latest capabilities. 

Advantages 

Among the chief advantages of the field training method is the 
reasonable assurance that it will produce desirable foremen. Any 
man who falls short of the necessary qualifications is dropped 
almost automatically. This weeding out results in the minimum 
amount of effort being wasted on men who are incapable, most of 
the attention being given to those who are actually developing as 
desired. When a man has progressed through the various stages 
of this training, his supervisors know what jobs that man can fill. 
Such knowledge obviates any experimenting after the training is 
completed and makes for a more satisfied management and a more 
encouraged employee. 

Another advantage of field training is its flexibility. The plan 
can be operated equally well with one candidate or with one hun¬ 
dred. It enables the supervisor to acquire the intimate personal 
knowledge of each man and to give him individual attention. No 
two men need be handled exactly alike and the types and quantity 
of experience offered can be varied to suit each man’s requirements 
or to qualify the man for some specific job which may be available. 
No group as such is involved and there is no graduating class for 
which jobs must be provided at a set time. 

Another advantage is that there is no school atmosphere at¬ 
tached to field training. Many good men are afraid of joining any 
kind of a class which might entail regular outside work. Some men 
are prevented by a mock modesty from lining themselves up with a 
group in which they fear they might not shine. On the other hand, 
some men will agree to take a course of study merely for the effect 
which they hope to produce on the management and not because 
they are vitally interested. 

The almost negligible expense involved in the field training pro¬ 
gram is another distinct advantage. There is no non-productive 
period during training and very little additional supervision is re¬ 
quired. For this reason it is about the easiest form of training to 


25 


inaugurate in a plant which is not enthusiastic over intensive edu¬ 
cation. It can be started and maintained with nothing more than 
the cooperation of superintendents and head foremen, and it can 
be established without committing the management to any training 
policy. 

Disadvantages 

The disadvantages of field training alone are that it is difficult 
to give the men the general perspective of a foreman’s job in the 
course of his daily duties; it is almost impossible to impart the 
desired theoretical knowledge of economics, labor and material 
markets, time study, wage plans, etc.; the men do not have the 
same opportunity to become acquainted and to discuss their real and 
hypothetical problems with each other. These disadvantages may 
be overcome by the simple expedient of using some other type of 
training, in the desired amount, to supplement the field training 
system. 


26 




PART V. FOLLOWING UP FOREMAN TRAINING 

WORK 

Foremanship training is still more or less in the development 
stage and great possibilities for improvement exist in all the methods 
that have previously been outlined. Doubtless the work of the next 
few years will be, not so much the development of new methods, as 
better application of the methods already outlined to the conditions 
for which they are best suited. In other words, the future problem 
may very well be, to so supplement the method adopted and to so 
follow up the work as to get more real effectiveness from the 
training. 

It would seem that foremanship training, up to the present 
time, has been largely an instructing process, in that it is confined 
almost entirely to group work, conducted in classroom, under vari¬ 
ous teaching methods. It is notably lacking in the application of 
the principles established by the instruction, and there is little 
assurance that the principles developed in conferences or the in¬ 
formation imparted in the lectures or texts are carried into practice 
on the job. There may be exceptions to this, but they are few. 

Little has been done in the way of following up the training or 
in supplementing it by auxiliary contacts, which encourage putting 
into daily practice the principles which have been preached. 

Foremanship training, to be really effective must be a con¬ 
tinuous process. Not only must the instructional and development 
part of the program extend over a long period of time, but also 
every opportunity must be taken to show the concrete application of 
the principles involved. 

In order to get results, the men doing the training and the men 
being trained, must have the sympathy, backing, and co-operation 
of the superintendents and the management. 

The superintendents themselves must not only put into prac¬ 
tice what is being developed among the foremen, but they must also 
continually, by example and suggestion, encourage the foremen in 
their every day work, to apply the principles developed. 

Methods of following up foremanship training, to secure effec¬ 
tive results, do not lend themselves easily to systematic, organized 
procedure. Much of this work, like “field training,” is of an in¬ 
tangible nature which can not be formulated and standardized in 
any specific way. Its application will be influenced largely by the 
size, type and personnel of the organization. 


27 


Methods of Follow-Up 

An attempt will be made here to merely mention some of the 
methods and activities in the way of follow-up which may be used 
to aid in insuring effective results from any method of foremanship 
training. 

The follow-up will be done most effectively through the fore¬ 
men’s superintendents. This means they themselves must thor¬ 
oughly understand and believe in the principles and methods the 
foremanship training is developing. They must be in thorough 
sympathy with the work and must continually practice the prin¬ 
ciples. 

In order to insure this being the case there should be some 
method of bringing the superintendents together for a common 
understanding as to what is being attempted with the foremen. 
Regular meetings of the superintendents to discuss what is being 
given the foremen, how they are using it, and how the superin¬ 
tendents are getting results, are of great value. The active interest 
of the superintendent, made evident to the foremen, will do much 
to help him put his ideas into effect. Suggestions and kindly 
criticism and constant reference by example, to the principles dis¬ 
cussed will help the foreman in this every day practice. 

Too much emphasis cannot be placed upon the importance of 
continual contact, on the job, between those doing the training 
and those being trained. Frequent opportunity should be afforded 
those being trained to get together and exchange ideas on how 
they are putting into practice the principles that have been 
developed. 

There are many auxiliaries which may frequently be used as a 
follow-up to make the training more effective. 

Special lectures of an inspirational or an instructional nature, if 
of a high character and if not held too frequently, will help. 

The active circulation of books and magazines of the type that 
convey a live, practical interest will make the men continue to 
think about their problems. 

If possible, a magazine, published especially for the supervisors 
in their own plant, will furnish a means of putting before them, 
from time to time, articles that should help them in their work. 
This will also serve as an advertising medium for the other 
auxiliary means of training, and as a conveyance for the exchange 
of ideas and suggestions among the foremen. 


28 


Inspection trips will broaden the interest and suggest new 
ideas. 

Perhaps the most effective means of following up foremanship 
training is to be sure that those foremen who are putting into 
practice the principles developed, are given opportunity to be of 
greatest service to the organization and to themselves by proper 
transfer and promotion to more responsible positions. 

Another important phase of following up the training is an at¬ 
tempt to measure in some sort of way, the real effectiveness of the 
training. This can never be done, directly, in dollars and cents. 
In fact probably no direct measure can be made, because there are 
so many variables. However, it is believed that effective foreman- 
ship training will be evidenced by more smoothly running depart¬ 
ments, less labor turnover, better scheduling and planning, more 
co-operation and lower costs. 


\ 


29 


PART VI. PRODUCTION CONFERENCES VS. FORE¬ 
MAN TRAINING 

Most organizations which have an appreciable number of super¬ 
visors of any given grade conform to the practice of holding 
periodic meetings of such men. These meetings are usually led by 
the immediate superior of the group,—thus, the superintendent of 
a department having a number of foremen, would hold weekly 
organization meetings just as the general manager of an entire plant 
might hold weekly or even daily meetings with the heads of his 
various departments. The tone of these meetings is very similar. 
The general manager in his meetings of department heads usually 
discusses current problems which are of immediate importance to 
the organization and which have to do with such matters as sched¬ 
ules of production, purchase of supplies, departmental coordination, 
etc. The superintendent in meetings with his foremen also discuss 
the immediate problems of production within his department, in¬ 
cluding such items as production schedules, job progress, and 
coordination of the different divisions of his departments. In either 
case the subordinates meet for the purpose of receiving definite 
instructions or more properly termed directions from their superiors 
and to be advised in the problems of their organization. The 
fundamental purpose of the meeting is found in its contribution to 
organized control and in its inspiration producing capacity. The 
latter result may be produced either through fear or more worth 
while motives to carry out the wishes of the leader. 

These conferences are usually held for production purposes pure 
and simple, and as a result of them, definite jurisdiction may be 
assigned for various jobs, thus preventing a shifting of responsi¬ 
bilities. Subordinates absorb the idea of superiors as to their views 
and policies, thus bringing about a unity of understanding, subor¬ 
dinates may pledge their support to one another, and definite 
directions are given and received to be later followed out. 

Such meetings are an efficient part of any well organized insti¬ 
tution but their purpose is mainly directive and incidentally instruc¬ 
tive and educational. It cannot be denied that some educational 
value is attached to meetings of this type, but there are few managers 
who call meetings of subordinates with the educational function 
uppermost in mind. On the contrary their meetings are called for 
the purpose of giving, and usually the subordinates attend with the 
attitude of receiving, definite directions for the performance of their 
work. Thus the directive attitude is uppermost in mind and be- 


30 


comes the major motive of these meetings. They are not essentially 
a method of training, although often so interpreted, but they are 
essentially a method which facilitates the giving of directions to a 
group of men with a minimum degree of effort and perhaps also 
with a maximum degree of efficiency. 

While they are unquestionably effective from the production 
standpoint, their effectiveness from the training standpoint is easily 
questionable, for the superior who automatically becomes leader of 
the group may be an excellent director but a poor instructor or 
teacher. Too frequently in such meetings the subordinate accepts 
the direction or the statements of the leader because he hesitates to 
display his ignorance and leaves the meeting directed but not 
informed. It is perhaps not out of place to mention that not 
unfrequently these meetings become a “session with the old man” 
rather than a medium for constructive leadership. 

The term “conference” probably contributes to the confusion 
which exists between meetings for production purposes and meet¬ 
ings for training purposes. Frequently upon the mention of Fore¬ 
man Conference work from the training standpoint the production 
manager immediately replies that he personally brings his foremen 
together each week and talks things over with them, he runs the 
conferences personally and sees no need for substituting or even 
adding more conferences or meetings. He takes a superficial atti¬ 
tude in regard to the suggested conferences and is often not disposed 
to give the proposed work the analysis and comparison it deserves. 
The meetings which are suggested to him, however, place the 
emphasis in converse order upon the values which are obtained from 
his meetings, namely; training is their direct function and the in¬ 
creased production their indirect result. This is true regardless of 
the method followed in the organized training, whether it is by con¬ 
ference, by text, or by lecture. 

As contrasted against the Production Conferences, in the 
organized training of foremen as carried on by any of the above 
methods, the meetings are led by a person who has no authority 
over the foremen, with whom their discussions can be open and 
frank, who can approach their problems with an unbiased view¬ 
point, who is trained not only as a teacher but as an analyst. The 
nature of his position is such that he cannot give directions, there¬ 
fore, he must lead the men to think out their own salvation. In the 
organized training of foremen under the plan of Foreman Training, 
the ability of foremen is developed by constructive assistance in 


31 




library of congress 


0 021 590 378 3 


checking up their weaknesses. A mutual exchange ot viewpoints 
and opinion can occur in such meetings to a degree that would be 
impossible in Production Conferences. An integral part of the 
organized plan is that it sets up a series of meetings which are 
planned in terms of definite jobs which link up with one another 
in sequence. There is the possibility of assignment of reading 
matter or texts and a follow-up of the study given the assignment 
or there is the possibility of improving analytical ability, either 
result being dependent upon the method selected. 


The organized training of foremen cannot be expected to 
eliminate the Production Conference, each have a totally different 
function, but each may supplement the other. The business organ¬ 
ization which utilizes both plans and links them closely together, 
for they are inseparable when once established, will harvest the 
best results. 


32 
















